Maximizing Your Maximizing Your Potential:Potential:

Practical Advice from a 20-Something Practical Advice from a 20-Something DeanDean

James A. Troha, Ph.D.James A. Troha, Ph.D.Vice President for Enrollment & Student AffairsVice President for Enrollment & Student Affairs

Dean of StudentsDean of Students

Heidelberg CollegeHeidelberg College

February 3, 2006February 3, 2006

AgendaAgenda

1.1. IntroductionsIntroductions2.2. Why Student Affairs?Why Student Affairs?3.3. LeadershipLeadership4.4. Building Your ExperienceBuilding Your Experience5.5. Ladder IssuesLadder Issues

• DegreesDegrees• TrainingTraining• MentorsMentors• Public vs. PrivatePublic vs. Private• Length of serviceLength of service

My backgroundMy background

• Residence life (4 years)Residence life (4 years)

• Greek life (2 years)Greek life (2 years)

• Dean of Students (11 years)Dean of Students (11 years)

• Vice President for Student Affairs (4 Vice President for Student Affairs (4 years)years)

• Vice President for Enrollment (3 years)Vice President for Enrollment (3 years)

• Ph.D. Educational Policy and Ph.D. Educational Policy and LeadershipLeadership

Why Student Affairs?Why Student Affairs?

• StudentsStudents

• PersonalityPersonality

• EnvironmentEnvironment

• LearningLearning

• LeadershipLeadership

LeadershipLeadership

Leadership vs. ManagementLeadership vs. Management““Managers are people who do things Managers are people who do things

right and leaders are people right and leaders are people who do the right thing”who do the right thing”

• To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of, responsibility for, to conduct.to have charge of, responsibility for, to conduct.

• Leading is influencing, guiding in direction, Leading is influencing, guiding in direction, course, action, opinion.course, action, opinion.

LeadershipLeadership• What do Senior Student Affairs What do Senior Student Affairs

Officers say about leadership?Officers say about leadership?

– No single formula for successNo single formula for success

– Highly personalized leadership is Highly personalized leadership is needed; depends on institution and needed; depends on institution and cultureculture

– Need to deal positively with stress, Need to deal positively with stress, courage and integritycourage and integrity

StressStress

• Serve at the pleasure of the PresidentServe at the pleasure of the President

• Long hoursLong hours

• Many constituent groupsMany constituent groups– Students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees, Students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees,

alumni, community membersalumni, community members

• Single issues may often determine fateSingle issues may often determine fate

• UnpredictableUnpredictable

CourageCourage• ““If you want a place in the sun, you’ve If you want a place in the sun, you’ve

got to put up with a few blisters.”got to put up with a few blisters.”• CriticismCriticism

– The courage to move forward in view of The courage to move forward in view of expected controversy and opposition is a expected controversy and opposition is a clear indication of successful leadership.clear indication of successful leadership.

• Doing the right thingDoing the right thing• Educational leadership means moving Educational leadership means moving

forward, developing new approaches.forward, developing new approaches.• Leadership is about risk.Leadership is about risk.

IntegrityIntegrity

• TrustTrust– ““I may disagree with Dean Troha, but I I may disagree with Dean Troha, but I

know he was telling me the truth.”know he was telling me the truth.”– CredibilityCredibility– Policy developmentPolicy development

• Fair but FirmFair but Firm• ConsistencyConsistency• FlexibilityFlexibility

Developing Your Own Developing Your Own ExperienceExperience• Before we can talk about advancing your Before we can talk about advancing your

career, you must first do well in what you career, you must first do well in what you are doing. are doing. – You are most promotable and most rewardable You are most promotable and most rewardable

when you show superior performance at your when you show superior performance at your current job. DO YOUR CURRENT JOB WELL!current job. DO YOUR CURRENT JOB WELL!

• What does it take though to do your job What does it take though to do your job well? Trendy word is competencies… I well? Trendy word is competencies… I like the terms hard and soft skills. like the terms hard and soft skills.

Developing Your Own Developing Your Own ExperienceExperience• Hard skills Hard skills

– easy to measure (productivity, accuracy, easy to measure (productivity, accuracy, timeliness)timeliness)

• Soft skillsSoft skills– just as important, but hard to measure (team just as important, but hard to measure (team

player, good communication, personality, player, good communication, personality, demeanor, relationships)demeanor, relationships)

• YOU WILL BE MEASURED BY BOTH. YOU WILL BE MEASURED BY BOTH. You can be the best typist in the world but You can be the best typist in the world but if nobody gives you anything to type if nobody gives you anything to type because of your personality, you’re out of because of your personality, you’re out of a job.a job.

Basic Hard skillsBasic Hard skills

• Show initiative (own your job)Show initiative (own your job)

• Meet deadlines Meet deadlines

• Do more than expectedDo more than expected

• Have a goal in mind and share these goalsHave a goal in mind and share these goals

• Work from a base of knowledge (avoid Work from a base of knowledge (avoid rumors; facts deserve respect from rumors; facts deserve respect from others)others)

• Don’t demand immediate payback or Don’t demand immediate payback or recognition Make lists and take notes! recognition Make lists and take notes! Each minute you spend planning can save Each minute you spend planning can save 20 in execution!20 in execution!

Soft skillsSoft skills

• Positiveness; optimism (hire for attitude, train Positiveness; optimism (hire for attitude, train for skills) for skills) – Herb Kellerher, CEO for Southwest: “We look for Herb Kellerher, CEO for Southwest: “We look for

people who have to excel to satisfy themselves and people who have to excel to satisfy themselves and who work well in a collegial environment. We don’t who work well in a collegial environment. We don’t care that much about education and experience care that much about education and experience because we can train people to do whatever they because we can train people to do whatever they have to do. We hire attitudes.”have to do. We hire attitudes.”

• People skills (other people have to want to be People skills (other people have to want to be around you.)around you.)

• Communication (small talk, conversation, avoid Communication (small talk, conversation, avoid religion, politics, other social topics, know religion, politics, other social topics, know current events, listen)current events, listen)

Soft Skills (cont…)Soft Skills (cont…)

• Confident but humble Confident but humble – keep bad moods to yourself, work on fit, every keep bad moods to yourself, work on fit, every

interaction is a deposit in the workplace interaction is a deposit in the workplace relationship bankrelationship bank

• Don’t be a talented jerk (know-it-all, Don’t be a talented jerk (know-it-all, elitist)elitist)

• Manage up (don’t kiss ass but play the Manage up (don’t kiss ass but play the game, understand boss’ game, game, understand boss’ game, preferences)preferences)

• Be pleasant, say hello to people, shake Be pleasant, say hello to people, shake hands and look at them, use names, ask hands and look at them, use names, ask questions.questions.

Movin’ on up!Movin’ on up!

The burden for most of us is on us! The burden for most of us is on us!

Some are born into good positions, Some are born into good positions,

others have great luck others have great luck

but for most of us, but for most of us,

WE ARE ITWE ARE IT!!

So how do we get promoted? So how do we get promoted?

What will give us the edge?What will give us the edge?

MeetingsMeetingsSpeaking Speaking

CommitteesCommitteesImpressionsImpressions

IntentionalityIntentionality

Be a good meeting personBe a good meeting person

• Take up space (spread work materials Take up space (spread work materials in front of you, pull your chair up and in front of you, pull your chair up and sit straight, ignore dinner table sit straight, ignore dinner table etiquette and put your elbows on the etiquette and put your elbows on the table.)table.)

• Pay attention (don’t sit and nod your Pay attention (don’t sit and nod your head like one of those car dolls; marks head like one of those car dolls; marks you as a subordinate; use words to you as a subordinate; use words to agree or disagree) “Seek first to agree or disagree) “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”understand, then to be understood”

Be a good meeting personBe a good meeting person

• Don’t fidget (men average 12 major Don’t fidget (men average 12 major movements; women 27; the more movements; women 27; the more you fidget, the more you siphon you fidget, the more you siphon attention from you are saying; think attention from you are saying; think poise)poise)

• Finish your sentences (don’t repeat Finish your sentences (don’t repeat things, state your point clearly)things, state your point clearly)

Public speakingPublic speaking

• DO IT!DO IT!

• Preparation - know your audience, be Preparation - know your audience, be comfortable with your materialcomfortable with your material

• Use your nervousness (keeps you on your Use your nervousness (keeps you on your toes)toes)

• Use short sentences, dynamic words (use Use short sentences, dynamic words (use stories, visual aids, move around, look at stories, visual aids, move around, look at audience)audience)

• Believe that your audience wants you to do Believe that your audience wants you to do well well

Committee workCommittee work

• Provides visibility Provides visibility – top levels of management already have top levels of management already have

visibility; you need it; visibility; you need it; – builds a network, lets your talent be builds a network, lets your talent be

seen seen – can’t let day to day performance decline can’t let day to day performance decline

thoughthough

Good impressionGood impression

• Dress for success (the greater Dress for success (the greater danger is not dressing for success danger is not dressing for success and wanting it)and wanting it)

• Wear the costume of the organization Wear the costume of the organization (high tech companies not the norm)(high tech companies not the norm)

• Good personal hygieneGood personal hygiene

Strategize / Be IntentionalStrategize / Be Intentional

• Long, mid-range, short-rangeLong, mid-range, short-range

• Know yourself, be in the loop, get Know yourself, be in the loop, get feedback, be a team player, accept feedback, be a team player, accept change, have options, follow your change, have options, follow your plan, believe in yourself.plan, believe in yourself.

Ladder IssuesLadder Issues

•DegreesDegrees

•TrainingTraining

•MentorsMentors

•Public vs. PrivatePublic vs. Private

•Length of serviceLength of service

Other Ladder IssuesOther Ladder Issues

ConclusionConclusion

• ““What am I good at?”What am I good at?”• ““What do I enjoy?”What do I enjoy?”• ““What are my contributions to students? What are my contributions to students?

The campus community?”The campus community?”• ““Am I satisfied and successful with what I Am I satisfied and successful with what I

am doing?”am doing?”• ““What are my opportunities for future What are my opportunities for future

growth?”growth?”• ““What do I want to do next?”What do I want to do next?”• ““What has changed in my life the past year What has changed in my life the past year

and how do I respond to that?”and how do I respond to that?”

Thanks for Listening!!!Thanks for Listening!!!

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

Jim TrohaJim Troha

jtroha@heidelberg.edujtroha@heidelberg.edu

(419) 448-2062(419) 448-2062